--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is no absolute by which to judge…" description: "\"If there is no absolute by which to judge society, society is absolute.\" — Francis Schaeffer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/francis-schaeffer-2607_absolute_if-there-is-no-absolute-by-which-to-judg_3011664.jpg" --- # If there is no absolute by which to judge society, society… ![“If there is no absolute by which to judge society, society is absolute.” quote by Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/francis-schaeffer-2607_absolute_if-there-is-no-absolute-by-which-to-judg_3011664.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/francis-schaeffer-2607_absolute_if-there-is-no-absolute-by-which-to-judg_3011664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/francis-schaeffer-2607_absolute_if-there-is-no-absolute-by-which-to-judg_3011664.jpg) > “If there is no absolute by which to judge society, society is absolute.” [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without an absolute standard, society becomes the ultimate authority, making moral judgments relative and unstable. **In simple terms:** No absolute = society becomes absolute Key Takeaway Recognize need for objective moral standards Themes philosophy ethics relativism Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical theoretical When to use this quote - legal debates - educational curricula - political discourse Key Concepts Moral absolutism cultural relativism Questions to Reflect On - What should define moral truth? - How do societies handle moral disagreement? A Different Perspective Absolute standards may be contested ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute/) [Absolute Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-judge-4832448/) [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Judge Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-society-1285096/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Society Absolute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-absolute-433521/) ## Related quotes > [“If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edgar/if-there-are-no-absolutes-by-which-to-judge-society-then-society-is/) [William Edgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-edgar/) > [Privacy is a right, but as in any democratic society, it is not an absolute right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/privacy-is-a-right-but-as-in-any-democratic-society-it-is-not-an/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Satire must always accompany any free society. It is an absolute necessity. Even in the most repressive medieval kingdoms, they understood the need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-randazzo/satire-must-always-accompany-any-free-society-it-is-an-absolute/) [Joe Randazzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-randazzo/) > [You can judge a society by the way it treats it's animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/you-can-judge-a-society-by-the-way-it-treats-it-s-animals/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Satire must always accompany any free society. It is an absolute necessity. Even in the most repressive medieval kingdoms, they understood the need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-randazzo/satire-must-always-accompany-any-free-society-it-is-an-absolute-2/) [Joe Randazzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-randazzo/) > [“Gandhi once said, “You can judge a society by how it treats its animals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-briggs/gandhi-once-said-you-can-judge-a-society-by-how-it-treats-its-animals/) [Steven Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-briggs/) > [You judge a society by how it treats its citizens. We must do our best to ensure that every child can live in comfort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melania-trump/you-judge-a-society-by-how-it-treats-its-citizens-we-must-do-our-best/) [Melania Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melania-trump/) > [Now we must learn to judge a society by its sounds...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-attali/now-we-must-learn-to-judge-a-society-by-its-sounds/) [Jacques Attali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-attali/) > [You judge a society by the decency of living of the weakest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/you-judge-a-society-by-the-decency-of-living-of-the-weakest/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [If there is no absolute moral standard, then one cannot say in a final sense that anything is right or wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-there-is-no-absolute-moral-standard-then-one-cannot-say-in-a-final/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [Doing the right thing at all costs is an absolute, and only a sith deals in absolutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-filoni/doing-the-right-thing-at-all-costs-is-an-absolute-and-only-a-sith/) [Dave Filoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-filoni/) > [What is liberty? There is no such thing as absolute liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/what-is-liberty-there-is-no-such-thing-as-absolute-liberty/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [Absolute morality is the regulation of conduct in such a way that pain shall not be inflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/absolute-morality-is-the-regulation-of-conduct-in-such-a-way-that/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [I can like something. You can like something. It's not an absolute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/i-can-like-something-you-can-like-something-it-s-not-an-absolute/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by Francis Schaeffer > [Jesus taught that the mark of the Christian is the observable love shown among all true believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/jesus-taught-that-the-mark-of-the-christian-is-the-observable-love/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [As evangelical Christians we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. The rest of human life we feel is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/as-evangelical-christians-we-have-tended-to-relegate-art-to-the-very/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [Belief does not change what is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/belief-does-not-change-what-is/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [The overall way of thinking in the United States has shifted away from basic Biblical values, and the media share in the responsibility for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-overall-way-of-thinking-in-the-united-states-has-shifted-away/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [In God's world the individual counts. Therefore, Christian art should deal with the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-god-s-world-the-individual-counts-therefore-christian-art-should/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [As evangelical Christians, we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life. 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It is not just an idea, it is a reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/to-die-is-to-be-with-the-lord-it-is-not-just-an-idea-it-is-a-reality/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [The purpose of apologetics is not just to win an argument or a discussion, but that people with whom we are in contact may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-purpose-of-apologetics-is-not-just-to-win-an-argument-or-a/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [If the church is what it should be, young people will be there. But they will not just 'be there' - they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-the-church-is-what-it-should-be-young-people-will-be-there-but/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [With the Fall all became abnormal. It is not just that the individual is separated from God by his true moral guilt, but each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/with-the-fall-all-became-abnormal-it-is-not-just-that-the-individual/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [There is nothing more ugly than an orthodoxy without understanding or compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/there-is-nothing-more-ugly-than-an-orthodoxy-without-understanding-or/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [This is not an age in which to be a soft Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/this-is-not-an-age-in-which-to-be-a-soft-christian/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [The great distinction of a true Christian is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. How careful should he be, lest anything in his thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-great-distinction-of-a-true-christian-is-the-indwelling-of-the/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) [Explore all 158 Francis Schaeffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) ## More Absolute quotes > [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Absolute is a game with only one player where Absolute forgets itself so it would have a reason to fulfill the motion while returning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/absolute-is-a-game-with-only-one-player-where-absolute-forgets-itself/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [“The necessity of nothingness does not create anything. 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Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/nothing-is-absolute-everything-changes-everything-moves-everything/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [I - it's simply not for me to evaluate an independent rating agency's processes. But I will say that there was reason to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/i-it-s-simply-not-for-me-to-evaluate-an-independent-rating-agency-s/) [Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/) > [Absolute morality is the regulation of conduct in such a way that pain shall not be inflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/absolute-morality-is-the-regulation-of-conduct-in-such-a-way-that/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [What is liberty? There is no such thing as absolute liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/what-is-liberty-there-is-no-such-thing-as-absolute-liberty/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [Doing the right thing at all costs is an absolute, and only a sith deals in absolutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-filoni/doing-the-right-thing-at-all-costs-is-an-absolute-and-only-a-sith/) [Dave Filoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-filoni/) > [“Energy is the world-born phenomenon, the world that puts itself in motion and flies into space by receiving space into itself. From this point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/energy-is-the-world-born-phenomenon-the-world-that-puts-itself-in/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [“As we see it, space is possible only when the primordial Being swallows emptiness. 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